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WildTechDNA, Big Cats, and Why Connection is Key to Conservation with Natalie Schmitt
Environmental Professionals Radio (EPR)
Nic and Laura interview Dr. Natalie Schmitt, an ecologist, conservation geneticist, explorer, filmmaker, and founder of Wild Tech DNA, to explore rapid field-based DNA technology, big cat conservation, and the power of making conservation tools accessible to frontline communities. From snow leopards and blue whales to Indigenous knowledge and the need for deeper human connection with nature, this episode examines how innovation and collaboration can shape the future of biodiversity protection.
Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick!
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Connect with Natalie Schmitt at https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-schmitt-64877968/
Guest Bio:
Dr. Natalie Schmitt is an ecologist, conservation geneticist, and documentary filmmaker whose work is driven by a deep commitment to ethical and transformative approaches to biodiversity protection. With a background spanning Antarctic whale research to Himalayan snow leopard conservation, Natalie has spent over two decades exploring innovative ways to address the root causes of biodiversity loss — and to empower the people at the heart of its solutions.
Taking inspiration from the Indigenous principle of two-eyed seeing, Natalie is passionate about trying to weave together Western science, Indigenous knowledge, and creative storytelling to foster collaboration, connection, and justice in conservation. She has worked alongside communities in Nepal to help restore harmony between people, livestock, and snow leopards (with the Pangje Foundation), and has contributed genetic insights to policy change through the International Whaling Commission via her research with the Australian Antarctic Division.
As the founder and CEO of WildTechDNA, Natalie leads the development of a groundbreaking real-time DNA detection technology that makes species identification rapid, low-cost, and accessible — even in remote, non-lab settings. Her work aims to transform how customs officers, law enforcement, citizen scientists, and local communities monitor biodiversity and combat illegal wildlife trade.
In 2022, Natalie was honored as one of the Explorers Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World that the World Needs to Know About. She currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at McMaster University. Her mission is guided by the belief that the biodiversity crisis is not simply ecological — it is deeply human, relational, and personal.
Music Credits
Intro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace Mesa
Outro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs Muller
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